By Faith Chondol
United States President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memo directing the country’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to investigate and prosecute individuals and organisations whose activities are deemed hostile to Christian and traditional American values.
The memo, signed on September 25, categorises ideologies considered “anti-American, anti-capitalist, and anti-Christian” as “common threads” of domestic terrorism. It also cites support for the overthrow of the U.S. government and extreme activism on issues relating to race, migration, and gender as indicators of terrorism.
“These movements portray foundational American principles — such as support for law enforcement and border control — as ‘fascist’ to justify and encourage acts of violent revolution,” the document states.
Trump further accused “anti-fascist” advocacy groups of inciting violent attacks on democratic institutions, insisting that such ideologies must now be treated as national security threats.
Under the directive, the JTTF has been mandated to investigate suspected crimes linked to recruitment or radicalisation for anti-Christian or anti-government causes. The order also targets non-governmental organisations and U.S. citizens abroad alleged to be funding or aiding such activities, particularly through money laundering or foreign influence networks.
Trump’s memo comes amid heightened international debate over the perceived rise of anti-Christian sentiments, particularly in Nigeria.
In recent weeks, online activists in the U.S. and Nigeria have renewed claims of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria — with some alleging that more have died there than in Gaza since the beginning of 2025. However, fact-checkers at TheCable debunked the claim.
Responding to the renewed controversy, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed the genocide narrative as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive”.
He insisted that terrorist attacks in the country target citizens of all faiths, not just Christians.
As Trump’s directive gains international attention, analysts say it could reshape U.S. counter-terrorism policy and spark debate on religious freedoms, human rights, and the thin line between dissent and extremism.
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